S. Sharath reflects on five-year tenure as national selector
S. Sharath recalled his five-year stint as a national selector in Chennai on October 25, 2026, describing it as a fruitful period in his career and expressing gratitude for the opportunity to contribute to Indian cricket.
For the last five years, Sharath served twice as chairman of the junior committee and spent three years as a senior selector, a period during which India’s under-19 side won World Cups in 2022 and 2026 and the senior squads he helped pick captured the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. “It has been a very fruitful journey to be able to contribute to Indian cricket. I missed out on playing for the country, but God has been kind enough to let me contribute in a different role. “I am grateful for the support of N. Srinivasan sir, K.S. Viswanathan sir, Jay (bhai) Shah and my family,” said Sharath. “It was a team effort, and I was blessed to work with some great former cricketers in both committees. I also have to mention Rahul Dravid and V.V.S. Laxman, and the CoE’s support.”
Sharath outlined the mindset he believes selectors must adopt when evaluating players, saying: “First thing is you should disassociate yourself from the fact that you were a former player and come with an open mind. The game has evolved, and you should understand the demands of the team combination,” said the 53-year-old.
On the attributes that matter beyond technique, he said: “Skills are always there, but it is the mental side of the game that is important. A selector must be empathetic. You have more bad days than good days as a player, and how you react on a bad day tells how good a player is.”
Sharath also described the small, observable behaviours he looks for as indicators of a player’s temperament and work ethic: “If you are a batter, small things like whether he is switched on while at the non-striker’s end helping his partner or as a bowler whether he is running in hard through the day, these are things you observe.”
Recalling the challenges early in his chairmanship, he said: “In 2021, when I took over as chairman, we were in the midst of a pandemic. Our young boys hadn’t played any cricket for two years. So, putting together a team in a short time and winning the World Cup was special.”
“The highlight for me will be the 2023 ODI World Cup. Though we lost in the final, we were the dominant team in that tournament and played an exciting brand of cricket.”
